THE SPORTS AND GAMES OF THE SINGHALESE 21 



propitation of some offended diety ; and whether sickness 

 has visited the people, murrain attacked the cattle, insects 

 and grubs settled on the young rice fields, or a protracted 

 drought threatened calamity to man and beast, the alarmed 

 Singhalese peasant knows of no more efficacious remedy 

 than an appeal to Vishnu or Siva, Pattiny deyo, Kateregam 

 deyo, or Basnaire deyo, through the medium of an A ng- 

 Ediema. The village elders, as soon as they awake to a 

 sense of the impending danger, wait in solemn deputation 

 on the Kapurale or priest of the district Kowile or temple, 

 carrying presents with them for the seer, very much after 

 the manner of Saul when he waited on Samuel, to learn 

 the name of the particular deity that ought to be appeas- 

 ed, and generally to concert measures for the due and 

 proper celebration of the Games. The Kapuralle promises 

 to obtain the desired information, but as this must be 

 done at a lucky hour, on an auspicious day, and after 

 sundry ablutions and purifications, he dismisses his visi- 

 tors with a promise to communicate with them on a 

 subsequent day. He next proceeds to consult the Oracle, 

 and fixes upon a day for the celebration of the Game, 

 taking care however, that it should be sufficiently remov- 

 ed to allow of the real crisis of the danger to be passed. 

 The day fixed upon is communicated to the elders who invite 

 the villagers interested, by distribution of betel leaves ; 

 and preparations for the celebration commence in earnest. 

 The villagers next divide into two parties or teams, the 

 upper and the lower. This distinction is merely topo- 

 graphical, the villages lying towards the head of a valley 

 or stream being the upper, and those further down being 

 the lower. Each party next chooses its Captain or Cham- 



